Chapter 103: Extending Lifespan (To Celebrate Silver)
Next, after a period of observation and experimentation, Fang Xi roughly understood the situation.
The Demonic Tree could absorb flesh and blood, transforming it into the purest life essence, which it then fed back to its master!
And this life essence was the key ingredient for many 'longevity pills'!
“In other words. . . each time I cultivate, it’s equivalent to consuming a longevity pill, and the lifespan I lose in a day might just be directly replenished? ”
“If that’s the case, won’t I become immortal? No, that’s not right, a crucial prerequisite is missing: a large amount of blood qi! ”
According to Fang Xi's observations and judgment, the essence fed back by the Demonic Tree each day was roughly equivalent to half a day's worth of lifespan.
In other words, he could live one day as if it were two for an ordinary person!
His lifespan had directly doubled!
If he allowed the Demonic Tree to absorb blood qi without restraint, it might even be possible to achieve 'eternal youth and immortality'!
Even if Peach Blossom Island had so much flesh and blood, such an anomaly would surely be discovered, and then cultivators would arrive to slay demons and eradicate devils!
“No matter what, being able to increase my lifespan by nearly twofold is astonishing enough! ”
“In other words, as long as I keep cultivating the tree, even at the Qi Refinement stage, I could live for over two hundred years? ”
Fang Xi's eyes lit up.
Qi Refinement cultivators generally had a lifespan of roughly two sexagenary cycles, or one hundred and twenty years!
Foundation Establishment cultivators lived for about four sexagenary cycles, around two hundred years!
Cultivators who formed a Golden Core possessed a venerable lifespan of nearly five hundred years!
Besides this, some longevity pills could also increase one's lifespan to a certain extent.
Then there were cultivators who practiced wood-element cultivation methods; if they avoided combat and were skilled in preserving their health, they could at least ensure they lived to their natural lifespan limit.
Fang Xi, having delved into the 'Longevity Art', knew that the best way to extend one's lifespan was to cultivate a post-natal wood-element spiritual body!
For spirit wood endures eternally!
Cultivators who awakened the 'Azure Wood Spirit Body' could extend their lifespan by about one to two tenths!
The legendary 'Wood Spirit Body' was even more terrifying, capable of increasing a cultivator's lifespan by nearly half!
In other words, if one awakened the 'Wood Spirit Body', a Qi Refinement cultivator could live to one hundred and eighty years, approaching that of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
And a Foundation Establishment cultivator could easily live past three hundred years!
As for the 'Eternal Evergreen Body'?
Such a physique was highly unlikely to exist in this realm; perhaps only in the Immortal World could one possess such an immortal body.
Based on the few words recorded in the 'Longevity Art', Fang Xi knew that one of the 'Eternal Evergreen Body's' functions was simply and brutally—'extending lifespan by ten thousand years'! !
Such a longevity Dao Body, destined for immortality, could probably only be born in the Immortal World.
Previously, Fang Xi's plans were always far-sighted, with everything prepared, precisely because he knew that after awakening the 'Azure Wood Spirit Body', his lifespan would inevitably be long.
“But I never imagined that the Demonic Tree would hold such a heaven-defying fortune! ”
“With such a long lifespan, how am I supposed to live it? ”
Fang Xi fell into a delightful dilemma.
After cultivating, he deliberately disconnected from the spiritual roots, stood up, and began to ponder a set of boxing techniques.
This was the Son of Heaven Dragon Fist that Pang Fei had taught him!
While the part about borrowing momentum was exceedingly clever, what Fang Xi valued more were its profound spiritual secret arts and advanced martial arts philosophies, which he integrated into his own Myriad Yuan True Art.
“Hmm? ”
As he honed his boxing techniques again, Fang Xi suddenly realized that his blood qi, which had previously reached the Grandmaster limit and could no longer break through, seemed to have thickened by another sliver?
With a cultivator's Divine Consciousness and a Grandmaster's senses, he could not possibly be mistaken!
“So. . . this life essence can also replenish blood qi? ”
“Indeed, aging is related to the decline of blood qi. ”
“If this continues, even though the increase is minimal. . . multiplied over several years or even decades, the effect will be no weaker than consuming a second-order blood qi treasure pill, and might even surpass it! ”
Fang Xi clenched his fist: “Grandmasters are unable to achieve True Vigor transformation purely because they are dragged down by the limits of the human body. . . Mortals in Da Liang have limited lifespans, merely a century; how can they accumulate sufficiently abundant blood qi? ”
“But I am different. . . with the Demonic Tree’s enhancement, plus the willingness to spend time! ”
“If anyone can still achieve True Vigor transformation, that person will definitely be me! ! ”
...
In high spirits, Fang Xi came to the courtyard.
In the pond, a Big Green Fish had grown rapidly, already weighing around twenty to thirty catties!
Its aura had also advanced from its original low-grade first-order to mid-grade first-order!
After consuming a large amount of snake-dragon essence blood, this dead salted fish had finally advanced a minor realm!
“It looks quite a bit bigger again. . . ”
Fang Xi scattered a handful of Vermilion Blood Spirit Rice into the pond, stroked his chin, and muttered to himself: “If it can’t advance to superior-grade first-order within ten years, then I’ll just butcher it and eat it as sashimi. . . sliced thinly and dipped in sauce, it’ll definitely be quite a treat! ”
At the bottom of the pond, the Big Green Fish trembled: ‘Humans are so terrifying. . . ’
...
Spring departed, autumn arrived.
On this day, Fang Xi inspected his spirit fields as usual.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a black beetle gnawing voraciously on a Vermilion Blood Spirit Rice plant.
“Damn it! ”
Fang Xi's thoughts stirred, and with a flick of his finger, a streak of Geng Metal Sword Qi shot out, piercing the black beetle.
He examined it closely and discovered that, at some unknown point, these pests had spread throughout his spirit fields!
“Black-Striped Golden Beetle, savage in nature, fond of eating spirit rice. . . ”
From his spirit farmer's inheritance, Fang Xi easily found the corresponding information.
“It must be a problem with the formation. . . ”
He meticulously checked and found that the southeastern corner of the formation was slightly loose, occasionally causing the restrictions to malfunction, making it easy for small insects to slip through.
After repairing the 'Little Cloud Rain Formation', Fang Xi immediately began eliminating insects in every mu of land.
Mending the pen after the sheep are lost is not too late!
Although this year's spirit rice wouldn't yield a bountiful harvest, he still had to ensure some yield!
After busy work spanning more than ten days, Fang Xi looked at the numerous Black-Striped Golden Beetles crawling together in a small cage and stroked his chin.
Among these Black-Striped Golden Beetles, there was also a demon insect whose body was entirely like green jade, with patterns on its back, appearing like a monarch among these beetles.
“Green-Patterned Golden Beetle! ”
“There’s even a leader among them. . . ”
Fang Xi pondered for a moment, then pulled out a jade slip from his storage bag.
This had been found in the storage bags of the five late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators who had ambushed him last time; he didn't know which unfortunate soul it belonged to, but it was an insect cultivator's notebook.
Though the notebook was incomplete, combined with the beast-taming inheritance Fang Xi had previously obtained, he could just barely make sense of it.
“Black-Striped Golden Beetles are useless, their demonic qi is negligible, and a single spirit farmer's weeding spell is enough to kill a large swath of them. . . but these pests breed profusely and quickly, much like mice. . . yet, if one selects the best of the best, Green-Patterned Golden Beetles might be born! ”
These Green-Patterned Golden Beetles were true low-grade first-order demon insects; though still weaklings, their numbers could become quite formidable if they multiplied.
Fang Xi planned to establish an insect breeding chamber to begin breeding and the process of selecting the best of the best.
Conveniently, he could also practice his insect-repelling art and beast-taming art.
During this period, though he hadn't abandoned his research into the Four Cultivation Arts, his progress remained negligible.
Conversely, in the fields of spirit plants and spirit beasts, Fang Xi still had some confidence and talent.
“Insects naturally grow quickly, and with my extended lifespan, it will be enough to cultivate the most exceptional breeds! ”
“The remaining insects can also be fed to the Big Green Fish, perfect! ”
Fang Xi looked at the spirit fields, finding many severely reduced in yield, and shook his head, feeling a pang of heartache.
These pests weren't eating spirit rice; they were eating Taisui meat, consuming the Demonic Tree's essence! — That was his very life!
“Sooner or later, everything that ate from me will have to spit it back out! ”
“Feed what Big Green Fish? Directly feed it to the Demonic Tree! ”
Fang Xi thought fiercely.
...
Winter arrived, snowflakes drifted down.
Fang Xi went to his wine cellar and retrieved a bottle of aged 'Vermilion Blood Wine'!
After uncorking the bottle, he saw the wine within was a deep crimson, like blood, and its aroma was intoxicating.
He took a sip, finding that the fishy scent of the Vermilion Blood Spirit Rice was gone, replaced by a particularly mellow and robust flavor, much like *shaodaozi* or *erguotou*.
“What potent wine! ”
Feeling as though he had swallowed a ball of fire, and with the faint surge of vitality in his blood qi, Fang Xi nodded, then shook his head.
This 'Vermilion Blood Wine' was indeed a success. Unfortunately, while it could still lay a foundation and strengthen blood qi for someone in the early Body Cultivation stage,
for him, it merely stimulated his blood qi slightly, no longer having the effect of increasing it.
After all, his Body Cultivation had become comparable to a perfected Qi Refinement cultivator since he had advanced to the Grandmaster stage, where Qi permeated his entire body!
To ascend another step would undoubtedly be incredibly difficult!
Fortunately, he still had the Demonic Tree; although its effects were faint each day, they were a powerful supplement.
Carrying a pot of wine, Fang Xi came to the underground karstic cave.
By now, the Demonic Tree had grown several more feet, its total length exceeding fifteen feet, making it almost as tall as a bungalow.
Fang Xi sat cross-legged beneath the Demonic Tree, feeling a vast amount of Wood Spirit Essence pouring into his body.
Beside him, a spiritual root hung down, coiled around the wine bottle, and brought it to his lips for a sip.
The Demonic Tree, in essence, acted as Fang Xi's clone, naturally capable of manipulating its spiritual roots to perform many tasks.
“Longevity is within reach, longevity is truly within reach. . . ”
During his daily cultivation, Fang Xi felt vitality constantly surging through his limbs and bones, and his face was naturally filled with joy.
Just then, he frowned and pulled out a restriction token.
“Someone’s here? ”
Fang Xi returned to his cultivation chamber, placed the meditation cushion back in its original spot, and walked out of the residence.
With a wave, he dispersed the formation, and there, a figure standing on a flower basket, was none other than Ruan Xing Ling!
“Greetings, Island Master! ”
Amidst countless swirling flower petals, Ruan Xing Ling gracefully descended from the flower basket, like a Celestial Maiden descending to the mortal world: “Recently, the spirit fields on Peach Blossom Island have all suffered from insect infestations, so I specially came to take a look. . . ”
“Alas, my place has also been hit hard. . . ”
Fang Xi's face was bitter, then a smile appeared: “Since Island Master has graced us with your presence, why not come sit in the courtyard? I happen to have brewed some ‘Vermilion Blood Wine’! ”
When a guest visits, failing to invite them to sit in the courtyard would be a breach of etiquette.
As for the underground karstic cave? Fang Xi had long prepared disguises, and it was protected by a formation.
Qi Refinement cultivators did not possess Divine Consciousness, nor could they project it externally, making it difficult for them to detect any anomalies.
Ruan Xing Ling entered the courtyard, paid no heed to the Big Green Fish, and simply clasped her hands behind her back, looked around, and sighed: “This courtyard is a bit too sparse and desolate. One could plant some peach blossoms. . . My Peach Blossom Island has peach blossoms planted everywhere, and next year, when the petals fall in profusion, it will be quite a sight. ”
“Island Master speaks wisely. ”
Fang Xi held out a tray, taking out two bottles of aged Vermilion Blood Wine, and invited Ruan Xing Ling to taste it.
Ruan Xing Ling held the jade cup, and after drinking the Vermilion Blood Wine, she frowned slightly: “This wine is quite potent. Do you have anything else? ”
“Well. . . ”
Fang Xi thought for a moment: “I do have some homemade local wine; I just experimented with it myself. Its taste isn’t great; it might make you laugh. ”
“Then I shall try it. ” Ruan Xing Ling’s eyes were like morning stars.
Fang Xi had no choice but to go back and retrieve two more bottles of wine. He poured a cup for Ruan Xing Ling, and also drank a sip himself.
This spirit rice wine was barely palatable, yet it had a lingering sour and astringent taste that he could never get rid of.
“Although this wine’s taste is ordinary, this sourness is quite fitting. Does it have a name? ”
“It’s nameless. . . why not call it ‘Green Bamboo Wine’? ” Fang Xi, tasting this flavor again, couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion, recalling his time at the market town.
“Green Bamboo Wine, not bad, not bad. . . I hope to drink this Green Bamboo Wine every year from now on. ”
Ruan Xing Ling, riding on countless flower petals, slowly ascended: “Today, my great-grandfather. . . also reached his natural lifespan limit and passed away. . . ”
“Island Master, please accept my condolences. . . ”
Fang Xi watched Ruan Xing Ling’s retreating figure, thinking to himself: ‘Another one outlived. . . ’
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